Fire-shutter.



PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

T. B. JACKSON.

FIRE SHUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.14,19'06.

l I lucoonz l/ f "f' l f the several views, 1n Wluch- No. 829,339. W

i I' N l TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS B. JACKSON, OF LOCK NO. 4, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO MARY BUMER AND ONE-THIRD TO LEONHARD DARR,

OF.MON ESSEN PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-SHUTTER.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application lled March 14, 1906. Serial No. 306.046.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Lock N o. 4, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Shutters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention' relates to certain new and useful improvements in fire curtains or shutters; and the invention has for its primary object the provision of a novel structure for housing a curtain or shutter above a window, door, or the like openings, also novel means for automatically actuating the curtain or shutter to instantly protect the window, door, or opening should fire occur in the vicinity of the saine.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curtain or shutter for a Window or door which will be normally protected from rough and stormy weather and which will not interfere with the movement of the sashes of a window or the door of a doorway.

A further object of this invention is to provide a curtain or shutter which will be automatically actuated or released to protect a window-frame or doorway should a fire occur in the vicinity of the same, thermostatio means being employed for releasing the curtain or shutter, while the force of gravity is emiloyed to actuate or operate the same. still further object of this invention is to provide a curtain or shutter that can be readily used in connection with various types of buildings for protecting the exposed woodwork thereof, my improved curtain or shutter being neat in appearance, whereby it will enhance the general appearance of a building and not detract therefrom.

With the above and many other objects in view, which Will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and, referring to the drawings accompanying this application, like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout Figure 1 is a front elevation of a Windowframe equipped with my improved ire curtain or shutter. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the lire curtain or shutter closed and aportion of its housing in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line x :n of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow of said figure. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a roller used 1n connection with my improved curtain or shutter, and Fig. 6 is a goss-sectional view taken 011 the line y y of In order that the application of my improved ire curtain or shutter to abuildinv may be readily understood, I have illustrated a portion of a building 1 and a windowframe 2.

To put my invention into practice, I secure to the building 1 at each side of the windowframe two vertical guide-plates 3 3, said plates being secured to the building by nails 4 or like fastening means. At the upper ends of the guide-plates 3 3 and slightly to one side thereof are mounted metallic brackets 5 5, said brackets being secured to the building similar to the plates 3 3. In the brackets 5 5 is journaled a roller 6, preferably constructed of metal and covered With asbestos 7 or similar non-fusible material. Attached to the roller 6, as at 8, by suitable fastening means is an asbestos curtain 9, said curtain being of l a length corresponding to the window-frame 2. The curtain 9 is provided with .a transverse metallic stiHening-strip 1() centrally of its length, said strip being riveted orother- Wise secured to the curtain, as at 11. The lower edge of the curtain is provided with metallic stiHening rib or gutter 12, which intermediate its ends is cut away, as at 14. The rib or gutter serves functionally to guide the curtain 9, to retain the curtain in shape, and as a receptacle or rest for the weight, which Will be presently described. The curtain is adapted to travel between the guideplates 3 3, and the ends of the rib or gutter 12v and the strip 10 are adapted to ride behind said plates and maintain the curtain in its v proper form or shape.

Adjacent to oney end of the roller 6 1s attached a cable or cord 15, carrying aweight IOO 16, said weight being adapted to rotate the roller 6 when the curtain 9 is operated to protect the window-frame 2. Incasing the roller 6 and the brackets 5 5 is a housing 17, said 'housing being constructed of sheet metal and secured to the building 1 by nails 18 or pending hook-shaped member 23.

In practice the curtain 9 is wound upon the roller 6, together with the cable or cord 2o `15, and is held Wound by fastening the cable or, cord; to art 23-of the head 17. The cable or cord, W 'chis also constructed of metal, is connectedl to the depending hook shaped member 23 by a fusible link '24, constructed of soft solder or the like therinostatic equivalent. After the cable has been connected to the hook-shaped member 23 the weight 16 is placedwithin the gutter 12 of the curtain 9,

andwhen the link 2 4 is melted by being subj ected to undue heat from any cause the fastening means for thecord or cable is thereby released and the curtain is free to unwind,

the weight 16, supported by the lower end of the curtain, giving the curtain sufficient impetus tounwind the same from the roller 6. As the part of the cord or cable between pulley 20 and the weight 16, supported in gutter 12, becomes slack when the link 24 is melted and the curtain starts to unwind the weight will be drawn off its resting-seat in the gutter and` thecable or cord with the Weight will swing sidewise of the window into vertical alinement and when in this vertical position will serve to accelerate the unwinding of the curtain into osition for closing the Windowopening. en the curtain 9 travels downwardly betweenthe guide-plates 3 3, it will strike the sill of the window-frame 1 and entirely incase the woodwork of the windowframe, thus preventing the same from being affected by fire or heat Within the vicinity thereof. When the curtain is closed or rolled upon the roller 6, the stiffening rib or gutter 12 partially incloses the housing 17 andprevents birds from nesting or roosting within the housing, which might tend to interfere with the automatic operation of a curtain at the necessary time.

From the novel construction used in connection with my improved ire-curtain it will be observed that the movable or operative parts thereof are clearly protected and housed and before the metal from which the housing and the brackets are constructed can be injured the curtain would be actuated to protect the window-frame.

My improved curtain can be readily constructed upon an enlarged scale and used as a safety-curtain within a theater or the like building or may be used as a fireproof partition in large stores.

I do not care to confine myself to the character of fusible link used in connection with the curtain, as any desirable thermostatic e'qlllivalent can be readily substituted for the Such changes in the construction and operation as are permissible by the appended I/Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l1. In a {ire-curtain, the combination with a Windowframe of a building, of griilq-lq latiJ mounted upon the sides of said frame,f an as-l l 8 5 roller, a Weighted calile wound upon said 9o roller and connecting with said housing, means to temporarily conn-ect said cable to said housing, and means carried by said curtain to temporarily support said weight, sub stantially as described.

2. In a {ire-curtain, the combination with guide-plates, of a roller journaled above said guide-plates, a fire-curtain attached to said roller, a housing incasing said roller, a weighted cable wound upon said roller, means to temporarily connect said cable to said hous ing, and means carried by said curtain to temporarily support said weight, substantially as described.

3. In a lire-curtain, the combination with guide-plates, of a roller, a iireproof curtain connected to said roller and adapted to wind thereon, a housing inclosing the roller, a gutter attached to the lower end of the curt fin, and adapted when the curtain is wound on the roller to engage the housing, a cable connected to the roller, a weight on said cable normally supported by the gutter on the curtain, and a thermostatic element normally connecting 1e ca e to the housing.

4. In a {ire-curtain, the combination of a roller, a fireproof curtain connected to said roller and adapted to Wind thereon, a housing inclosing the roller, a gutter attached to the lower end of the curtain, and adapted when the curtain is wound on the roller to en gage the housing, a cable connected to the roller, a weight 'on said cable normally supported by the gutter on the curtain, and a thermostatic element normally connecting he cable to the housing.

IOO

5. In a fire-curtain, the combination of a roller, a irepoof curtain conneted tio said in the presence of two Witnesses. ro er, a cor connecte to t e ro er, a 5 Weight carried by said cord, means carried by i THOMAS B JACKSON 5 the curtain' for normally supporting said Weight, ana thermostatic means holding the curtain normally Wound on the roller.

Witnesses:

I-I. C. YATTER, WM. H. ZELLERS, Jr.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 

